Axle mounting for motor vehicles



E. J. RANT SCH. AXLE MOUNTING FOR MOTOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJJ, 1921- wuemto Ed /ardJ/Pant Patented Aug. 15, 1922.

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EDWARD lBANTSCI-I, or BROOKLYN. NEW YORK.

AXLE MOUNTING FOR MOTOR. VEHICLES.

Application filed. August 8, 1921. Serial No: 490,474.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, E WARD J. RAN'rsorr, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Axle Mountings for Motor Vehicles, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved mounting for the drive or rear axles of motor vehicles, and particularly to the mounting of such axles in connection with the hubs of the rear wheels of a vehicle, and the object of the invention is to provide an improved'hub and axle connection or coupling, said hub and axle being of the usual or any preferred form or design, whereby the axle is made capable of automatic self-alinement in said hub as well as in the usual rearor differential housing of the vehicle, by reason of a rotary oscillating or partial universal movement therein afforded by said connec- 7 .tion or coupling, and whereby the breaking of the axle will be obviated, or rendered unlikely, and with this and other objects in view the invention consists in a device of the class and for the purposespecified which is simple in construction and operation, and efficient in use and which is constructed and operated claimed. 7

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawingforms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference. characters in each ofthe views, and in which Fig.1 1 is a transverse sectionalview through a hub of a motor vehicle with an axle extending thereinto and showing my improvement; I t

.Fig. 2 a partial section on the line 22 of Figl; I y I Fig. 3 a detail view of a part of the construction which I employ and show in section in Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 4 is a p'artia of Fig. 1.

In the drawing I have shown, fort-he purpose of illustrating one use of myinvention,

the hub 5 of a rear wheel of a Dodge motor vehicle and'preferably a wheel of the wire type. The hub 5, in the construction .vided with asquare aperture or bore adapt- ,which are approximately hemispherical in aperture or bore 13 is enlarged-and also threaded as shown at 16 ,inFig. .1 of'the .axle as hereinafter described. 7 as hereinafter described and- .adapted to fit and operategin said recesses,

l section-on. the line 4E4Q anoutwardly directed. conicalvportion 7 provided with a tubular and externallythreaded extension 8 upon which the usual hub The disk 6 is cap, not shown, is mounted.

provided, in the construction shown, vwith six outwardly projecting pins 9 adapted to pass through the hub portion of the wheel .boltsare passed in securin'gthe' hub in posi tion, or to the various parts of the wheel construction,.not shown. j j

The hub 5, as usually constructed, is p'roed to receive the square end or spindle 11 .of a rear axle. 12but, in the practice of my invention, substitute for said square, aperture an aperture or bore 13the walls ,of

form in cross section andprovided with a plurality of circumferentially arranged teeth or projections ltforming correspond ing recesses 15, and'the inner portion of the shown, comprises a circular disk.6 having drawing. The above construction forms, a

' In practice, I also employ on the outer surface of which is arcshape'd in cross ing teeth" 18 arranged i circumferentially thereof and correspondingin numberto the recesses 15 in thehub 5, and. which are but the transverse dimensionsof the teeth or projections 18 are less :than the corresponding dimensions of-said recesses 15, as clearly.

. Z ns i the axle a clutch member or collar 17, the

section and is provided, centrally of the pe- 9 0 riphery thereof, with a plurality of projectshown in Fig. 1 of the drawingto permit of the lateral movement ofgsaid teeth or'projections .18. Theadj acent faces of .theteeth or projections 18 are rounded or arc-shaped in form as shown at 19 to permit of the slight oscillatory movement of saidclutch member 17 in the hub 5 as hereinafter set out.

erates in conneotion withthe clutchmember -1l0 .105 The clutchmember 17 ;is held in'position in the hub 5, orthexbore .13 thereof, by an recesses 24, in connection with which a set screw 25 passed through the hub 5, or the conical portion 7 thereof, operates to lock said collar in any desired position of adjustment. The inner face of the collar is also preferably provided with spaced apertures 26 by means of which said collar may be adjusted by a suitable spanner wrench.

The clutch member or collar 17 is provided centrally with a square aperture 27 adapted to receive the square end portion 11 of the axle 12, as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4: of the drawing. Tn assembling the various parts of my improvement, or in mounting the axle in connection with the hub 5, the clutch member 17 is first mounted upon the square end portion 11 of the axle after which the axle with the clutch member thereon is mounted in'the hub 5 with the teeth or projections 18 of said clutch member in the recesses 1.5, after which the adjustment collar 20 is mounted in position and adjusted so as to properly hold the clutch member 17 in position and yet perof the free rotary oscillatory movement of said clutch member in said hub, after which the set screw 25 is moved into operative position and into engagement with one of the notches or recesses 24- in the flange 22 of said. adjustment collar. The hub 5 with the wheel and various other parts thereof is then mounted in connection with the housing in the usual manner.

In the use of my improvement it will be apparent that the axle 12 is capable of self alinement in the housing at all times thus relievmg the usual stress on said axle in "the event of improper alinement thereof in the construction of a motor vehicle, and fun ther it will be apparent that with my improvement in the event of the axle housing being moved out of alinement caused by an accident or otherwise, my improved selfalining attachment or mounting of the axle inconnection with the hub of a rear wheel, within certain limits, will permit of theoperation of the vehicle. a

It must be understood thatthe hub 5 and the wheel carried thereby is mounted in connection with and supported in position by the rear housing of the vehicle and that the axle is floating within said housing and does not serve to support the wheel or hubof the wheel. In other words, the wheel and hub are held in proper position and against wobbling by said housing. and when the housing is thrown out of alinement the movement of the axle in the hub will compensate for such improper alinement within certain limits.

l-leretotore, in the event of the housing or various other parts of the rear end structure of: a motor vehicle getting out of alinement due to accidents or otherwise, it has been impossible, in most cases, to successfully operate the vehicle thus putting operators or motorists at-undue inconvenience as well as expense. With my improvement, however, any offset of the rear housing or wheels of a vehicle, or an improper alinement thereof within certain limits, will not effect the success'ful operation of the vehicle by reason of the ability of the axle to compensate for and remedy such defects in the operation of the vehicle, it being apparent that the axle 12 is capable of a lateral as well as a partial universal movement in the hub due to the mounting of said axle in connection with said hub by the clutch mechanism described. It will also be apparent that the rear wheels are rotated by the axle 12 through the clutch member 17 by reason of the teeth or projections 14 and 18 in the hub 5 and on the clutch member 17 respectively.

Une of the chief advantages of my improvement lies in the fact that it prevents breaking of the axle when great stress or strain is thrown thereon, by reason of a wheel dropping into a rut or hole in the road, or striking an obstructiom-or' by reason of the axle supports being suddenly thrown out of alinement.

' With my improved construction, the operative parts of the axle mounting, or the surfaces subjected to friction may be readily lubricated by grease or other lubricant placed in the aperture '28 in the outer face of the hub 5, which grease or lubricant is held in position by the usual hub cap employed. '2

It will be understood that while I have shown my improvement as employed in connection with the driving axle and the hub' of a wheel mounted thereon, I am not necessarily limited in this respect, the broad idea being to provide means for mounting the rear or drive axle of a motor vehicle in connection with its usual supports in such manner as to permit of the self-alinement of said axle therein, and various other changes in and modifications of the construction herein shown and described may be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An axle mounting of the class described comprising a clutch member mounted in connection with said axle and movable therewith, and said clutch member being mounted in a suitable support-in such manner as to permit of lateral movement of said axle in said support.

2. An axle mounting .of the class described comprising a suitable support, and means on said axle and mov ably mounted in said support to permit ofthe selfalinement of said axle in said support.

3. An axle mounting of the class described comprising a suitable support in connection with Which an axle is adapted to be mounted, means on said axle tor movably mounting the same in connection with said support to permit of the self-alinement of said axle in said support, and means for holding said first named means in position in said support.

4. An axle mounting of the class described comprising a suitable support in connection with which an axle is adapted to be mounted, means on said axle for movably mounting the same in connection with said support to permit of the self-alinement of said axle in said support, and adjustable means for holding said first named means in position in said support.

5. An axle mounting of the class described comprising a suitable support in connection with which an axle is adapted to be mounted, means on said axle for movably mounting the same in connection with said support to permit of theself-alinement of said axle in said support, adjustable means for bolding said first named means in position in said support, and means in said support cooperating with said last named means'for holding the same in different positions of adjustment.

6. An axle mounting of the class described comprising a wheel hub member in connection with which an axle is adapted to be mounted, and a clutch member mounted.

on said axle and adapted to operate in said hub member for securing said axle to said hub member' and permitting of the selfalinement of said axle therein.

7. An axle mounting of the class described comprising a wheel hub member in connection with which an axle is adapted to be mounted, a clutch member mounted on said axle and adapted to operate in said hub member for securin said axle to said hub member and permitting of the selfalinement of said axle therein, and an ad justment collar mounted in said hub member and cooperating with said clutch member for holding the same in proper position.

8. An axle mountingof the class described comprising a wheel hub member in connection with which an axle is adapted to be mounted, a clutch member mounted on said axle and adapted to operate in said hub member for securing said axle to said hub member and. permitting of the selfalinement of said axle therein, an adjustment collar mounted] in said hub member and cooperating with said clutch member for holding the' same in proper position, and

means for holding said adjustment collar in any positiono i adjustment. 7

9. An axle mounting'of the class described comprising a wheel hub 'inember in connection with which an axle isadapted to be mounted, said hub'member being pro; vided with an arc-shaped aperture having circumferentially arranged projecting members forming intervening recesses, and a substantlally spherical clutch member adapted to be secured to. said axle and to be mounted.

in the arc-shaped aperture of said hubmember and provided with projecting members adapted to operate in the recesses of said hub member and to cooperate'with the pro- 1 jecting membersthereof.

10. An axle mounting of the class described comprising awheel hub member in connection with Which an axle is adapted to be mounted, said hub memberbeing provided with. an'arc-shaped aperture having circumferentially arranged projecting memi bers forming intervening recesses, a substantiallyspherical clutch member adapted to be secured to said axle and to be mounted on the arc-shaped'aperture of said'hub member and provided with projecting mem bers adapted to operate in the" recesses of 9 5' said hub member and to cooperate with the projecting members thereof, and a collar adjustably mounted in said hub member and connection with which an axle is adapted to be mounted, said hub member being provided with an arc-shaped aperture having 'ci'rcu-mferentially, arranged projecting members forming intervening recesses, a sub-; stantially spherical clutch 'jmember adapted to be secured to said axle and to be mounted on the arc-shaped aperture of said hub member and provided with projecting members adapted to operate in the recesses of saidhub member and to cooperate with the projecting members thereof, a collar 'ad-- I justably mounted in said hub member and cooperating with said clutch member for holding the same in proper position, and. means for holding said collar in any position of adjustment.

12. The herein described means for connecting the drive axle of a vehicle with the hub of a wheel, said means comprising a clutch member in the hub and a clutch'member on the end of the axle, said clutch members being capable of a rotary oscillating movement one within the other.

13. The herein described means for cone be! on the end of the axle, said clutchmemas my invention 1 have signed my name bers belng capable of a rotary osclllatmg 1n presence of the subscrlblng wltnesses thls movement one Within the other, and said 111 day of August 1921.

clutch members being also provided with EDWARD J. RANTSCH. a slight lateral and Vertical oscillating lnove- Vitnesses: i i Inent one with reference to the other. C. E. NIULREANY,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing H. E. THOMPSON 

